Method of making coke and gas.



' PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

J. A. POTTER. METHOD OF MAKING COKE AND GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1901.

2 SHBETSSHEET 1 V. 7 II, Li

n a [W u n R m a o a S m m 1 8 m 5 n a 2 0 a W n n w 0 l w m u a U 12 Em m H 2 1 M 9 n 1.. M 7 w 6 2 M r 4 M 2 M, J m -mm I l l I l I 1 ,H/m L6 I lllll l.| G. 1 m 4: f a R J 2 m ||?|-||||1.1 7 m H 16 m 0 2 j l 6 4l I I l I. 2 1 I my I 1v 6 4 3 .1 J a 4 1 l" V 3 2 12 m 5 m m w noMODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE. f

METHOD OF MAKING COKE AND GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 731,949, dated June23, 1903. Application filed July 8, 1901. Serial No. 67,398. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. POTTER, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulMethod of Gas, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalcross-section of a cokeoven arranged to be operated in accordance withmy improved process, and Fig. 2 is a similar section at right angles tothat of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a modification.

My invention relates to the coking of coal, and is designed to providean improved method therefor by which a continuous operation is affordedin which at least a part of the gas may be taken off and used forilluminating or other purposes and in which the heat of the cooling cokeis utilized for the preheating of a fluid, such as air or combustiblegases, or for the heating of water to generate steam.

In the drawings, in which I show one form of apparatus for carrying outmy improved method, 2 is a retort, preferably formed of fire-brick orrefractory material and having a lower portion 8, consisting of a hollowmetal casing or shell. This shell 3 rests upon a base-plate 4, havingside guides 5 5, within which slides a reciprocating shear-block 6. Thisshear-block is actuated by a motive cylinder 7, having its piston-rod orplunger 8 attachably secured to the hub or stem 9 of the shear-block. Aseries of steam or air channels or pipes 10 lead through the shearblockfor conducting steam or air into the interior of the retort while itslower end is closed and the coking operation is going on. The outer endsof these channels are arranged for the connection of jointed pipesthereto,throug11 which the steam or air passes. The retort is builtwithin a masonry setting 11, and a series of vertical lines or chambers12 surround the retort and connect at their lower ends to gas and airinlet pipes 13 and at their upper ends to a flue 14, surrounding the topof the retort and from which leads stack-flue 15. These fines orchambers may be separated from each other by fire'brick or Making Cokeand other refractory partitions. The gas which is burned in thesechambers may be drawn from any suitable source; but I prefer to obtainit from the coke itself within the retort, and for this purpose Iprovide gas-outlet pipes 16, which lead from the lower enlarged portionof the retort beneath the shoulder 17 and are connected to a surroundingpipe 18, from which branches 19, provided'with valves 20, lead to thegas and air pipes 13. The air injectors or inlets 21 lead through theupper pipes 13, which open .into the lower ends of the chambers 12, andthe air thus forced in forms a siphon or vacuum, which draws the gasfrom the retort and forces it into the combustion-chambers. This gas islean and free from tar. By adjusting the valves 22 in the air-injectorsthe supply can be regulated as desired. Above the gas and airinletchannels I provide observation-holes, which are closed by removableplugs 23. The mixed air and gas thus forced into the lower ends of thecombustion-chambers burn therein and heat the upwardly-tapering portionof the retort, the zone of greatest heat being at the lower portions ofthese chambers. The burned gases pass off to the stack through flue 15.

I have found in the operation of this system that thepartially-liquefied coke,caused by the oozing of the tarsin the coal,swells within the upper part of the retort and requires considerableforce or pressure to force it downwardly. For carrying out this step Iuse an upper ram 24, which is connected through cross'head 25 to thepiston-rod 26 of a motive cylinder 27, which is preferably pneumaticorsteam-actuated. This ram is recessed upon one side to form a pocket28, and surrounding this side of the ram is a hopper 29, containing thecoal to be fed into theretort. By actuating the motive cylinder Iactuate this ram at desirable intervals, and thus perform threefunctions: The ram feeds down a measured portion of coal at eachvertical movement, it is also used to force down the clinging body ofpasty coal, and a further important function is that of co npressing thecharge. As the ram is forced down within the retort it compacts anddensities the upper pasty portion of the charges, thereby closing thecells formed by the escaping gases and enabling a dense hard coke to beobtained from a comparatively poor quality of coking or gas coal.

To prevent the escape of gas during the in" troduction of the charge, Iprovide the hopper with a depending lip 30, which is of greater lengththan that of the coal-pocket in the ram. This seals the top of theretort and prevents the escape of the gas. The gas evolved in the retortpasses into a flue 31, and thence into a main 32, by which it isconducted to a holder or burner.

The hollow shell forming the lower portion of the retort is providedwith suitable inletpipes 33 in its lower portion and outlet-pipes 3% inits upper portion, and if air is heated in this shell the outlet-pipesare connected to the air-injectors, asshown in Fig. 3. In this case airis forced into the lower end of the shell under pressure and, beingheated therein, acts through the injectors to draw the lean gases fromthe lower and larger part of the retort and force them into thecombustionchambers, where they are mixed and burned. In case water isused in this shell the steam generated therein may be used to supplysteam to the channels in the shear-blade or to the cylinder to operatethe ram of this and other retorts, or where a single oven is used theshell or boiler may be divided into two compartments, in one of whichsteam is formed and in the other of which air is heated.

In carrying out my improved process coal is fed at proper intervals intothe top of the retort by reciprocating the ram and the coke isintermittently drawn from its lower end by reciprocation of theshear-blade. In performing these steps I preferably withdraw theshear-blade, thus opening the lower end of the retort, and then forcethe charge downwardly by means of the ram. Th'e shear-blade is thenforced forward to discharge and shear off the downward-protrudingportion of the charge, and the ram is raised to its normal position. Asmore coal is desired the ram is moved down through a portion of'itsstroke sufficient to feed coal downwardly by means of the pocketin theram. Thecoaldropsfrom the pocket upon the top of the charge andgradually descends into the hottest zone, which is at or near the levelof the observation-holes,

where the coking operation is completed. During this descent the richergases are distilled during the coking operation and pass off to thegas-main. The gas necessary for heating the upper portion of the retortand coking the coal is sucked out from the lower larger portion of theretort and forced into the combustion-chambers by the air-injectors.These gases are hot and much leaner than those evolved in the upperportion, being comparatively free from tar, so that there is no cloggingof the pipes. The quality of the gas taken off through the main at thetop of the oven is therefore improved, as it is not diluted by theleaner gases formed in the lower part of the oven. These gases forheating the oven may, if desired, be taken from other sources, or thegases evolved in the ovens may be taken to a holder, from which they maybe withdrawn and supplied to the combustion-chambers, though I preferthe process above described if the coal used is rich enough in gas tosupply sufficient for this purpose The coke is at a temperature ofabout5,000 Fahrenheit at the hottest zone, and the finished coke in passingfrom this zone to the lower end of the retort gives up a large part ofits heat, which is radiated through the inner wall of the shell orboiler, and thus heats the fluid or fluids therein. A considerableeconomy is thus obtained, since the heat of the cooling coke is notwasted, as

heretofore. The heat of this coke is further utilized for the generationof hydrogen gas by decomposition of the steam, which is forced inthrough the shear-blade when in its closed position. This steam passingup through the hot and cooling coke is decomposed and produces largequantities of hydrogen gas, which joins with the gases distilled fromthe coal. These gases havinga strong affinity for sulfur collect andremove from the coke any 5 particles of sulfur that may be left therein,thus improving its quality. The oxygen contained in the steam burns outany particles of hydrocarbon left in the hot coke. The

combustion chambers or flues around the I07.

upper part of the retort supply the heat nec-. essary for the cokingoperation and, further, preheat the fresh coal at the upper part of thecharge, the charge passing down through an increasing temperature to thehottest zone,

richer tarry coal is used, the burden is kept 1 15 lower and the tarswill pass off with the gas.

The advantages of my invention are numerous andimportant. By reason ofthe vertical stack form the weight of the charge will compact anddensify the coke, thus improv- 12o ing its quality and strength. Thepreheating of the air or gas utilizes the heat of the coke produced, andthus produces an economy in operation, and, further, the heat of theburning gas preheats the upper portion of the I25 charge, and thus aidsin the coking operation. The drawing of a part of the gas fromintermediate points in the producer gives a better quality of gas andutilizes the leaner gases for the heating of the retort. continuous, thewalls are kept at a substantially uniform temperature, so that the lifeof If a lean coal is being used, a high 1 I0 The process being aproducer is much longer than with ovens where the entire burden isdischarged and a new charge put in. As the coke has cooled down beforedischarging, it does not need to be water-quenched, and the coke is notsplit up by sudden cooling and the impurities contained in waterdeposited in it. The heat of the coke is also utilized for forming gasby the introduction of steam or air, or both, in the lower portion ofthe charge during the coking operation. The intermittent shearing off ofthe charge enables the continuous operation to be carried on, the shearacting as a seal to prevent access of oxygen to the charge.

The combustible gas may be preheated in the regenerative casing orboiler instead of the air, and as the shell can be made into two or moreparts the combustible gas or air may both be preheated in this manner,and by the term fluid in the claims I intend to cover either gases,whether combustible or not, or liquids, such as Water.

The apparatus may be Widely varied without departing from my inventionas defined in the claims, each of which may be carried out without thelimitation of the others.

I claim- 1. The method of producing coke and gas, consisting inmaintaining a vertical charge or burden, feeding coal to the upperportion of the burden, coking an intermediate part of the burden, andintermittently shearing olf and discharging the entire lower portion ofthe coke column at the lower end of the charge; substantially asdescribed.

2. The method of making coke and gas, consisting in maintaining avertical burden, intermittently supplying coal to one end of the burden,and shearing off and removing coke from the other end, drawing oft gasesfrom the burden, and burning combustible gases around the coking zone;substantially as described.

3. The method of making coke and gas, consisting in maintaining avertical burden, intermittently feeding coal to one end and shearing offand removing coke from the other end of said burden, heating a gaseousfluid by the coke so formed, and burning said gas around the cokingzone; substantially as described.

4. The method of making coke and gas, consisting in maintaining avertical. burden, intermittently feeding coal to the upper end andshearing off and removing coke from the lower end of said burden,drawing the lean and fuel gas from an intermediate point of the charge,and burning it around the intermediate aud upper portion of the charge,and withdrawing the rich and illuminating gases from the upper end ofthe charge for further use; substantially as described.

5. The method of making coke and gas, consisting in maintaining avertical burden, intermittently feeding coal to one end of the burden,and shearing off and removing coke from the other end, and feeding steaminto the lower portion of the burden while the coking operation isproceeding in the intermediate portion of the burden; substantially asdescribed.

6. The method of making coke, consisting in maintaining a verticalburden, feeding coal intermittently to the upper end of the burden,intermittently shearing OE and removing the lower part of the column,heating a gaseous fluid by means of the hot coke in the lower part ofthe burden, and burning the gaseous fluid around the intermediate upperportion of the burden, substantially as described.

7. The method of making coke and gas consisting in maintaining avertical burden, intermittently feedingcoal to the upper end of theburden and shearing off and removing coke from its lower portion,heating air around the lower portion of the burden, withdrawing gas froman intermediate part of the burden, and burning it with the preheatedair around the burden, and drawing off gases from the upper part of theburden; substantially as described.

8. The method of making coke, consisting in maintaining a continuousvertical burden or charge, compressing the coal during the cokingoperation to densify it and shearing off and removing successiveportions from the lower end of the column; substantially as described.

9. The method of making coke, consisting of maintaining a verticalcharge or burden, intermittently feeding charges of coal to the upperend of the burden, opening the bottom end of the retort, forcing thecharge downwardly and shearing off the protruding portion; substantiallyas described.

10. The method of making coke, consisting in maintaining a verticalburden, intermittently feeding coal to the upper end of the burden,shearing oflf and removing coke from its lower portion, sucking theleaner gas from an intermediate part of the burden, and forcing it byair under pressure into a combustionchamber around the retort;substantially as described.

11. The method of coking coal, consisting in maintaining a vertical'burden or charge,

intermittently feeding coal to the upper part of the burden and shearingoff and discharging coke from the lower end, and heating air by the heatof the coke in the lower part of I the charge; substantially asdescribed.

12. The method of making coke, consisting in maintaining a verticalburden or charge, intermittently feeding coal to the upper part of theburden and shearing off and discharging coke from the lower end, heatingair by the heat of the coke in the lower part of the charge, and feedingthis heated air together with a combustible gas into thecombustionchamber around the retort; substantially as described.

13. The method of making coke, consisting In testimony whereof I havehereunto set 7 in coking coal in a vertical column, compress-- my hand.

ing the same at the top While the bottom is closed, then opening thebottom and forcing JOHN POTTER out a part of the column and cutting offthis Witnesses:

JOHN MILLER, GEO. B. BLEMING.

end of the column; substantially as described.

